Vinokourov makes amends in the mountains

Alexandre Vinokourov of the T-Mobile team made amends for his collapse on the Tour de France’s first day in the Alps by winning the even tougher 11th stage in style.

Kazakhstan champion Vinokourov, who dropped down the race’s general classification after Tuesday’s first day in the high mountains, dominated a two-man sprint to the finish ahead of Colombia’s Santiago Botero.

American Lance Armstrong retained the race leader’s yellow jersey, but allowed Vinokourov to close the gap slightly in the general classification.

Vinokourov, who began the race as a contender for the yellow jersey, went off on an early breakaway and by the time he was at the summit of the day’s third climb - the Col du Galibier - he had left his breakaway companions.